Town Pop. 105,604

Living in Birkenhead: Liveability Score 67/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Birkenhead is 67/100, built from 9 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 84/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Safety falls furthest short: 33/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

That is 17 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 5% of all UK towns and villages. Broadband (93) and transport (82) sit at 80/100 or above. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CH25 postcode district.

67
OUT OF 100
Good
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

Loading map…

Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Birkenhead scores 67 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Birkenhead.
Or compare:
CH25 9BJ CH25 CH26 CH30 CH41

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
33
115.5 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 4,809 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,369 crimes
↓ 14% below national average
Public order 1,281 crimes
↑ 86% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 1,118 crimes
↑ 56% above national average
Shoplifting 937 crimes
↑ 14% above national average
other 2,678 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Supermarket 775 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 333 crimes
  3. 3 Hospital 236 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
79
Air Quality NO₂ 9.3 · PM2.5 6.1 · PM10 9.7 µg/m³
73
Green Space 92
Parks Ample 44
Sports Pitches Ample 49
Allotments Ample 21
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts Ample 27
Bowling Greens Ample 17
Playgrounds Ample 30

Services

Schools
78
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 63 in area · 64 within 4km
8Outstanding37Good8Requires Improvement2Inadequate8Ungraded
  • Ganneys Meadow Nursery School and Family CentreNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Gilbrook SchoolSpecial · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Orrets Meadow SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • St Andrew's CofE Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Outstanding
  • Town Lane Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding
  • Upton Hall School FCJSecondary · inspected 2022
    Outstanding
  • Wirral Hospitals' SchoolAlternative provision · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Bedford Drive Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Bidston Avenue Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
84
A&E departmentsRoyal Liverpool University Hospital2 mi
Aintree University Hospital5.4 mi
Countess of Chester Hospital11.4 mi
Hospital waitsWirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust0.9 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks64.7%
A&E seen within 4 hrs60.9%
16 GP surgeries in area 27 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,374 patients per GP
14dentists26pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
93
Full fibre (FTTP)93.4%
available across Wirral
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
97%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
97%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.7%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,543 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
28
Employment rate53%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53%Unemployed3.3%Retired21.7%Student4.5%Other inactive17.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.6%Skilled & technical32.7%Routine & elementary34.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications20.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.2%Level 3 (A levels)17.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.1%Apprenticeship6.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership54.7%
Among the most-deprived 31% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
43
Council tax Wirral · 2026-27
A £1,667
B £1,945
C £2,223
D £2,501
E £3,057
F £3,613
G £4,168
H £5,002
Energy Merseyside & North Wales region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water United Utilities
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
82
Birkenhead Park 1.1 mi
Upton 1.3 mi
Birkenhead Central 1.4 mi
J3 M53 1 mi
J2 M53 1.5 mi
J3 M53 1.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
58
Pubs & Bars Ample 55
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 43
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 58
Retail Shopping Ample 262
Takeaways Ample 75
Fitness Ample 15

Places like Birkenhead Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Birkenhead, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £176,000 627
Detached £427,500 68
Semi-detached £220,000 237
Terraced £136,500 212
Flat / Maisonette £130,000 110
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£101k £199k £299k £397k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Wallasey 68 2.2 mi away ⇄
Greasby 70 2.8 mi away ⇄
Barnston (Wirral) 62 2.8 mi away ⇄
Heswall 64 3.9 mi away ⇄
Bebington 71 4.1 mi away ⇄
Meols 59 4.5 mi away ⇄
Caldy 55 4.8 mi away ⇄
West Kirby 62 4.9 mi away ⇄
Hoylake 59 5.3 mi away ⇄
Liverpool 66 5.8 mi away ⇄
Bootle (Sefton) 63 6.3 mi away ⇄
Neston (Cheshire West and Chester) 62 6.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Birkenhead a nice place to live?

Yes, Birkenhead is a nice place to live. Our liveability score for Birkenhead is 67/100, placing it among one of the better-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Birkenhead?

Birkenhead has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 33/100. There were 12,192 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Birkenhead?

Among the top-rated schools in Birkenhead are Ganneys Meadow Nursery School and Family Centre, Gilbrook School and Orrets Meadow School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 63 rated schools in Birkenhead in total.

What are house prices like in Birkenhead?

The current median house price in Birkenhead is £176,000, around 38% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £427,500, semi-detached £220,000, terraced £136,500, flat £130,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 19%. There were 627 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Birkenhead in context

See where Birkenhead ranks among the best places to live in Merseyside

Postcode districts in Birkenhead

CH25 67 ⇄
CH26 70 ⇄
CH30 64 ⇄
CH41 63 ⇄
CH42 68 ⇄
CH43 66 ⇄
CH46 67 ⇄
CH49 71 ⇄
CH62 64 ⇄
CH63 75 ⇄

Check your exact postcode

Get a personalised score for any UK postcode, tailored to what matters most to you.

Score my postcode